Your Personal Grow-Pray-Study (GPS) Guide

Best Practices

Day 1: Read 2 Peter 3:18. In the past 12 months, how have you grown in your prayer life? Blessing others? Making your mark by serving others? What have your answers to the first three questions taught you about Complete Love?

Day 2: Read Philippians 4:6. Paul says do not be anxious about anything. What anxieties do you tend to hold tightly? From what Paul writes, what might help you let go of your anxiety?

Day 3: Read Galatians 5:22-23. When you think of the fruit of the Spirit, what comes to mind? Why? Take some time today to pray the excerpt from John Stott’s prayer: Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Day 4: Read John 15:5. When do your spiritual habits move from “routine” to “rut-ine”? What helps get you out of the rut or dry places in your spiritual life? How does God’s Word help you to grow on a daily basis and to live life each day?

Day 5: Read Luke 24:44-45. What Bible verses do you think Jesus used to explain who He is to the disciples? What Bible verses are guiding lights for your faith?

Day 6:Read 2 Peter 3:18. Who is discipling you? Whom are you discipling?

Day 1: Read Matthew 25:40. As you look at your life right now, do you feel a greater sense of compassion fatigue or compassionate faith? What’s your “least of these” story about how God sent someone to help you in a time of your need?

Day 2: Read Matthew 25:34-36. How can you define “your job” by the good you do? How is God using you to meet the needs of others?

Day 3: Read Matthew 10:42. Boy Scouts teach more than doing a good deed every day, but doing a good turn at every opportunity. What opportunities did you catch, to either do or receive good yesterday? What opportunities did you miss? Why?

Day 4: Read Matthew 25:44-45. Jesus in this story in Matthew 25 not only shows the road of compassionate faith, He also speaks of the indicators of compassion fatigue. Which ones does He identify in these verses? What are the signs of compassion fatigue you see as warning lights in your life? Why is it so important we deal with compassion fatigue and learn to start caring again?

Day 5: Read Matthew 25:37-40. When I think of these words from Matthew 25, I think of the life of Mother Teresa in reaching out to the poor and dying in Calcutta, India who observed, “When I look at the face of a needy person, I see Jesus.” Where have you seen the face of Jesus in the life of another? When have others seen the face of Jesus in you?

Day 6: Read Matthew 25:40. If you're battling compassion fatigue, then I challenge you to give this a try. When you first wake up, instead of thinking about all the trials and tribulations you must endure, ask this instead, "Lord, whom can I bless today?"

Monday: Read 1 John 3:1. If you are God’s child and He is the Father of all, what does this tell you about your relationship to other believers?

Tuesday: Read 1 John 4:11, 21, Galatians 6:2, 6, James 5:16. For each of the passages answer these two questions. What are we to share? How can we share this?

Wednesday: Read Proverbs 27:17 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. After reading these passages, if there is someone else in the room with you, explain to that person why fellowship/Christian community is important.

Thursday: Read 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. Who gave the members their various parts? (V. 18) What is the Spirit’s desire? (V. 25) What attitudes can lead to disharmony in the Body? (Vv. 15, 16, 21) Are there any unnecessary functions (members) in the Body? (Vv. 20-22). Think of what happens when you hit your finger with a hammer. How does this affect the entire body?

Friday: Read 1 Peter 5:1-5. This passage gives direction to pastors and church members. In doing so, it also gives good leadership principles for us to follow as we lead within the church. Looking specifically at verses 2-3, develop a list of right ways to lead and another list of wrong ways to lead.

Saturday: Read Ephesians 4:2-3. According to this passage, what will preserve unity in the Body? How do these behaviors help preserve unity? Examine your attitudes toward other Christians. Is there another member of Christ’s Body you find difficult to relate to in love? Why?

Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. When we look at the life of Jesus, we see a life that was perfectly led by the Other-First GPS. How does this passage illustrate how Jesus live sacrificially for the good of others?

Cite two other people in the Bible who lived for others.

Today, guided by the Other-First GPS, what can you do to put others first?